Gas or vapor engine



.(No Model.)

E. P. WOILLRD.

GAS 0B. VAPOR ENGINE.

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Nrrnn STATES Fries,

EUGENE P. VOILLARD, OF SUGDEN, FLORIDA.

GAS OR VAPOR ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 581,385, dated April 27', 1897.

Application filed May 14, 1896. Serial No. 591,530. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE P. WOILLARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sugd en,in the county of Dade and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas or Vapor Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,-

clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in gas and vapor engines, the object of the same being to so improve engines of this character that the gas, oil-vapors, or other explosive mixtures employed as a motive agent will be utilized to their fullest extent; that a high range of expansion of the burned gases will be obtained; that a greater proportion of the heat will be converted into work than has heretofore been obtainable; that a thorough mixing of the air and gases before ignition and a reliable ignition of the explosive charges is obtained, and that a regulation of the engine is eifected by automatically varying the volume of the explosive charges without varying the degree of infiammability.

The invention consists, essentially, of two high-pressure cylinders located one above the other, each provided with a piston having a common piston-rod, which projects downwardly through the lower end of the lower cylinder and connects through a suitable pitman with the main drive-shaft, an auxiliary low-pressure cylinder having a piston moving therein with a piston-rod connected thereto and to a crank-arm on said main driveshaft, valve connections between said highpressure cylinders and said low-pressure cylinder, a vaporizer and connections between said vaporizer and each of said high-pressure cylinders, two explosion-chests, one for each of said high-pressure cylinders, having automatic-valve connections with said high-pressure cylinders, electric contact-points in each of said explosion chambers, connections between one of said points and a battery through a suitable spark-coil, a pair of reciprocating rods on the main drive-shaft, means connected with said rods for opening and closing the valves in said explosionchambers and Isaid low-pressure cylinder at certain specied times, and an electric connection between said battery and one of said rods whereby contact is made with the other terminalsin said explosion-chests and a spark is prod nced therein.

The invention also consists in other details of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings forming part of this speciication, Figure l is a vertical central sectional view of my engine complete. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the main shaft, showing the reversing mechanism connected therewith. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the same, showing the-connection between said shaft and the reciprocating rods; and Fig. 4 is a detail in section.

Like reference-numerals indicate like parts in the several views.

In constructing my device I employ two high-pressure cylinders l 2, located one above the other and each provided with pistons 3 4, mounted -upon a common piston-rod 5, passing through a suitable stuffing-box 6 in the cylinder head 7, extending downwardly through the lower end of the cylinder 2 and having a cross-head 8 upon its lower end,

which moves in the guides 9 in the framework. To the cross-head 8 is connected a pitman 9, which is attached at its lower end to a crank l0 on the main drive-shaft Il. Located at a point adjacent to the high-pressure cylinders l 2 is an auxiliary low-pressure cylinder l2,which has a piston I3 moving therein, having a piston-rod 14 extending from its under side througha suitable stuffing-box and provided with a cross-head 15 on its lower end, vwhich moves in guides 16, secured to the framework. The cross-head l5 is connected through a pitman 17 with a crank-arm 18 on the main drive-shaft ll. It will be observed that the crank-arms l0 and I8 are on diametricall y opposite sides of the drive-shaft Il. The reason for this will appear later. Leading from the Lipper end of the cylinder l to the upper end of the cylinder 12 is a pipe or other suitable passage 19, which has a valve 2O at a point adjacent to the cylinder l2, whose stem 2l extends downwardly therefrom. A similar passage 22 extends from the under side of the cylinder 2 to the under side of the cylinder 12, the same also being provided with a valve therein, whose stem 24 projects upwardly therefrom. The cylinder 12 is further provided with exhaust-valves 25 2G, leading from its upper and lower ends, respectively, and each provided with valvestems 27 28. In the lower end of the highpressure cylinder l is a suction-valve 29 upon the end of a pipe 30, leading from a suitable vaporizer through the governor 3l. A similar valve 32 is located at the upper end of the high-pressu re cylinder 2 in the pipe 33, leading from said vaporizer. In connection with the foregoing devices l employ two explosionehests 34 35, each provided with a suitable water-jacket, as clearly shown in the drawings. From the upper end of the cylinder 2 leads a pipe 3G, having a check-valve 37 at its lower end and connected through the automatic valve 38 with the interior of the explosion-chest 34. A similar connection-pipe 39, having a cheek-valve 40 in its upper end, leads from the lower end of the cylinder l to the explosion-chest 35 and is provided with an automatic valve 41, as clearly shown. The stems of both of the automatic valves 38 41 are each su rrounded by a coiled spring, which normally holds said valves in their closed positions. The explosion-chest 34 leads into the upper end of the high-pressure cylinder 1 through an opening which is normally closed by `an automatic valve 42,`havin g a sprin g 43 surrounding the stem thereof andan adjustin g-n ut 44 upon the upper end, which permits the tension on the valve 42 to be regulated. A similar valve 45 leads from the explosionchamber 35 to the under side of the highpressure cylinder 2. In the upper side of the explosion-chamber 34 is a purge-opening, which is normally closed by a valve 46, having astem 47 extending upwardly therefrom. The explosion-chest 35 is provided with a similar purge-opening, which is likewise closed by a purge-valve 48, having a stem 49 extending from the under side thereof.

The main shaft l1 is provided with two double cams 50 5l, having a feather connection between said shaft and themselves, whereby a sliding movement on the shaft is permitted, but rotary movement independent of the shaft is prevented. These cams are provided with double faces,which are connected through ineline planes 52 52 for a purpose which will presently appear. Moving in engagement with the cams 50 5l are two rods 54 55, each of which has a C-shaped extension 56 upon its lower end, which are provided with antifrietion-rollers 57. The said C-shaped extensions are adapted to surround the cams 50 5l, so that upon the rotation of the shaft ll, carrying said cams, a reciprocating motion will be imparted to the rods 54 55. The rod 54 has an arm 58 extending from its upper end and an arm 59 at an intermediate point, which are respectively adapted to engage at the same time, upon the downward movement of the rod 54, the stem 27 of the valve 25 and the stem 24 of the valve The said rod is further provided with projecting arms 60 6l, which are respectively adapted to engage, upon the upward movement of the rod 54, the stem 2l of the valve 20 and the stem 28 of the valve 2G. The rod 55 is provided with an arm G2 at its upper end and an arm G3 at a point near its lower end, which are adapted to engage the stem 47 of the valve 46 upon the downward movement of said rod and the stem 49 of the valve 48 upon the upward move? ment of said rod. It should be stated here that the rod 55 is mounted in suitable guides or bearings in a stationary part of the framework and is surrounded by coiled springs 64 65, which engage a central stop or lug 66 on said rod and the beams or partitions G7 G8 of said framework to normally hold said rod in its central position-that is, when said rod is elevated through the medium of the cam 5l its lower end will be held in close connection with said cam, and when said rod is depressed through the same mea-ns the tendency of said springs will be to throw said rod upward. The rod 55 is provided at a pointnearits upper end with an arm 69, which is loosely mounted thereon and held normally upward against a stop 7 O by means of a coil-spring 7 l. It is also provided with a similar arm 72 near its lower end, which is normally held downward against the stop 73 by a coiled spring 74. These arms are provided for the purpose of making electrical contact for the purpose of producing a spark on the inside of the eX- plosion-ehambers 34 35, as will presently appear. 75 represents an electrical contact-point extending to the inside of the explosion-cham- `ber 34 and normallyheld in electrical connection with the battery 7 G through the wire 77 and the spark-coil 78. A similar con tact-point 79 extends to the inside of the explosion-chamber 34 and is slightly separated at its inner point from the end of the contact-point 75. The outer end of the contact-point 79 extends out within the path of movement of the arm 69 on the rod 55. The said arm G9 is in electrical connection through the wire 80 with the other pole of the battery 7 6. The explosion-chamber 35 is provided with similar contact-points 8l 82, the contact-point 8l being in circuit with the battery 7 (i through the wire 83 and spark-coil 78, and the contactpoint 82 projecting out within the path of movement of the arm 72 on the rod 55, the said arm 72 being in electrical connection with the other pole of the battery 7 6.

The two cams 52 53 on the shaft l1 are connected together through a rod 84, having the arms 85 8b thereon, which arms are provided with bifureated lower ends, which are secured to collars 87 88, connected to the rear ends of the cams 52 53, respectively. An antifrictional ball-bearing is provided between the collars 87 88 and said cams. Stops 89 90 91 92 are provided on the shaft ll to limit the forward and backward movement of the cams 52 The reversing-lever 84 is provided with a handle 93 upon its outer end and passes IOL through a clamping device 94', provided with a screw-wheel 95 thereon, by means of which said lever may be locked at any point to which it may be moved.

It is of course understood that by the arrangement j ust described the shifting of the cams 52 53 from their extreme rearward to their extreme forward position by means of a lever4 84 will bring the rods 54 55 upon the opposite faces of the cams 52 53, and thereby change the phase of the reciprocation of said rods and the time of explosion in the chests 34 35, and thereby reverse the operation of the engine.

My invention has now been sufficiently described, it is thought, to enable the operation thereof to be readily understood. Starting then with the parts in the position in which they are shown in Fig. 1, its operation is as follows:

In Fig. 1 the pistons 3 4 in the cylinders 1 2 are supposed to be just start-in g on their upward stroke, with the rod upon its downward stroke and the rod 54 upon its upward stroke. As soon as contact is made between the arm 72 and the contact-point 82 the circuit will be closed through the battery 76, the spark-coil 7 8, wire 83, contact-point 81, contact-point 82, and arm 72 back to the battery 76. A spark is produced at this moment in the explosion-chest 35, the explosion causing the automatic valve 45 to be opened and the expanded gases to be admitted into the highpressure cylinder 2 on the under side of the piston 4 therein. said piston is thereby given. At the same time that the contact is made between the rod 72 and contact-point 82 the arm 62 on the upper end of the rod 55 is brought into engagement with the stem 47 of the purge-valve 46, which causes the burned gases of the last charge in the explosion-chamber 34 to be emitted therefrom. As the piston 4 rises the air and gas or vapor in the cylinder 2 are forced out through the check-valve 40 into the vpassage 39, and through the automaticl valve 41 into the explosion-chamber 35. The upward movement of the piston 4 also carries with it the piston 3 by reason of the connection of said pistons with the common piston-rod 5. The upward movement of the piston 3 causes a suction'of fresh gases and vapors from the vaporizer through the suction-valve 29 in the lower end of cylinder l. At the same time the partially-expanded burned gases in the cylinder 1 are forced out through the passage 19 into the upper end of the low-pressure cylinder l2 through the valve 20, the said valve having been previously opened by reason of the engagement of the arm GO on the rod 54 with the stein 21 of said valve, the opening of said valve 2O having simultaneously opened the exhaust-valve 26 in the lower end of lthe cylinder 12. The partially-expanded gases from the cylinder 1 are thereby utilized to their fullest extent in the auxiliary low-pres- The power exerted by the sure cylinder l2.

An upward movement of` explosion in the chambers 34 35 is transmitted .modifications and minor changes might be made without departing from the nature or spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages. Such modiications and minor changes are clearly within the scope of this patent and are intended to be covered thereby.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a gas or vapor engine, the combination of two high-pressure cylinders situated in line one with the other, pistons for said cylinders, a common piston-rod for said pistons, a driveshaft and suitable connections between said piston-rod and 4said drive-shaft, an auxiliary low-press ure cylinder, a piston therefor, a piston-rod for said piston and connections between said piston-rod and said main driveshaft, means for creating anexplosion alternately on the operative sides of the pistons of the respective high-pressure cylinders,

means for drawing air and gas into one cyl inder while the piston in the other is being actuated and for forcing the partially-expanded gases from said inoperative cylinder to said low-pressure cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a gas or vapor engine, the combination of two high-pressure cylinders situated in line one with the other, pistons for said cylinders, a common piston-rod for said pistons, a driveshaft and suitable connections between said piston-rod and said drive-shaft, an auxiliary low-pressure cylinder, a piston therefor, a piston-rod for said piston and connections between said piston-rod and said main driveshaft, two explosion-chests communicating respectively with the outer ends of said highpressure cylinder, automatic valves in the passages between said chests and said cylinders, means for creating an explosion alternately in said chests at opposite ends of the strokes of said pistons, a vaporizer, pipes l leading from said vaporizer to the inner ends of the respective high-pressure cylinders, suctionvalves in the ends of said pipes, pipes leading from the inner ends of the respective highpressure cylinders to each of said explosionchests and pipes leading from the outer ends of said high-pressure cylinders to the outer ends of said low-pressure cylinder, and exhaust-valves inv said low-pressure cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a gas or vapor engine, the combination of two high-pressure cylinders situated in line one with the other, pistons for said cylinders,

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a common piston-rod `for said pistons, a-d-riveshaft andsuitable connections between said piston-rod and saiddrive-shaft, an auxiliar f low-pressure cylinder, a piston therefor, a piston-rod for said piston and connectionsbetween said piston-rodand said main kdrive-4 shaft, `two explosion chests communicating with the `outer ends of `said high-pressure cylinders respectively and means for creating an explosion therein, automatic valves `in the passages fbetween said chest and said high-` said explosion-chests andmeans `for operatin g the same, pipes or passages leading from the outer ends of said high-pressure cyli-nders to the outer ends of said low-pressure cylinder,

normally-closed valves in said pipes, thesaid low-pressure cylinder being provided with exhaust-passages, valves in saidexhaust-passages, means for opening one pair of said, valvesto'pernnt the passage of the partially- 1 expanded gases from one of said high-pres-l sure cylinders to said low-pressure cylinder and `toexhaust the waste gases from said lowpressure cylinder, substantially as and `for the purpose described.

4E. In a gas or Vapor engine, thecoinbina'tion of twolngh-pressure cylinders `situated-in line one with Ithe other, pistons for saidcylinders,

acolnmon piston-rod for said pistons, a driveshaft and suitable connections between said piston-rod andsaid drive-shaft, an auxiliary1 low-pressure cylinder, a piston therefor, a

piston-rod for said piston and connections between said piston-rod and said main -drive-I shaft, `cams on said main drive-shaft, verti-` cally-disposed rods engaging said cams and adapted to be reciprocated thereby, two elec` trical contact-points on one of said rods, an`

electric battery and connections between said battery and said contact-points, two explo-l sion-chests communicating respectively-with' the outer ends of said lhigh-'pressure cylinders, an automatic valve in the `passage between said chests and said cylinders,a contactpoint or circuit-terminal extending into the interior of each of said explosion-chests, cir-` cuit-wires connecting saidcontact-.point with said battery, a second contact-point in each of said chests, the inner end thereof being located a slight distance from the circuit-terminal in said chest and the outer end thereof projecting in the path `of movement of the contact-point on said rod, a vaporizer, pipes leadingfrorn said vaporizer to the inner ends of said high-'pressure cylinder, suction-valves in said pipes, pipes or passages leading fro1n` the inner ends of said high-pressure cylinders to said explosion-chests, passages leading from the outer ends of said high-pressure cylinders into the outer ends of said low-` pressure cylinder, valves in said passages, exhaust-valves in said cylinder and means connected to the other of said rods whereby one of said exhaust-valves `and one of the valves in the opening between said highpressurefcylinder `and said low-pressure cylinder areopened `at the same time, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. 11n an air and gas or Vapor engine of the characterset forth, the combination with the maindrive-shaft `operated through suitable mechanism by the explosion of gas or vapor, of a pair of rods and suitable connections therewith, whereby said engine is controlled, C-shaped extensions upon the lower ends fof said rods, autifriction-rollers in the ends of said extensions, cams on said main shaftsurrounded by said C-shaped extensions, the fsaid cams being slidingly mounted on said `shaft but prevented from rotating independ- `ently thereof, formed with double cam-faces land an incline connecting said faces, stops for limiting the `longitudinal movement of Asaid cams, collars loosely fitting the rear end Aof said cams, a reversing-lever having arms exten ding outwardly therefrom provided with lbiturcated ends which surround and are conrnectedto saidcollars, means for shifting said meversing-lever and means for securing said llever `in any position, substantially as and for f lthe purpose described.

6. vIna gas-or vapor engine, thecombination of two high-pressure'cylinders situatedinline one with the other, pistons `for said cylinders, `a com mon kpiston-rodfor said pistons, a driveshaft and suitable connections between said piston-rod and said drive-shaft, an auxiliary low-pressure cylinder, a piston therefor, a piston-rod for said piston and connections between said ;piston-rod and said main driveshaft, apair of cams on said main drive-shaft, `rods 54, 55 mounted in suitable bearings in the framework engaging said cams, arms 58, 59, 60,161 on the rod 54, arms 62, 63 on the rod 55, `contact-points and 72 on `the rod 55, springs for normallyholding said contactpoints in their outer positions, two explosionchests communicating with the outer ends of said'high-pressure cylinders,au tomatic valves in the passages between said chests and said cylinders, a Vaporizer, pipes leading from said vaporizer to the inner ends of the respective high pressure cylinders, suction Valves in said pipes, passages leading from the inner -ends of said high-pressure cylinders to the respective explosion-chests, automatic valves in said pipes, passages leading from the outer ends of the respectivehigh-pressure cylinders to the outer ends of said low-pressure cylinder, valves in said passages adapted to be engaged Vby the arms 59, 60 on the rod 54, exhaust-valves in said low-pressure cylinder adapted to be engaged by the'arms 5S, 6l on the rod 54, a contact-point extending to the interior of each ofsaid explosion-chests, an electric battery, connections between one IOO IIO

pole of said battery and said contact-points and connections between the other pole of said battery and the contact-points '70, 72, the second contactfpoint extending to the inside of each of said explosion-chambers, the outer end thereof. projecting out into the path of movement of the contact-points 70 and 72 and purge-Valves in said explosion-chests which are adapted to be engaged respectively by the arms 62 and 63 on the rod, substan- 1o tially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

EUGENE P. WOILLARD.

XVitnesses:

R. E. SERJEANTSON, WALTER G. SToKEs. 

